Town guide

Lakeland, Florida

Lakeland is a city in Polk County, Florida, home to about 119,961 people across 66 square miles. Its ZIP codes are 33803, 33805, 33811, 33815 and 33868, and parts of 33801, 33809, 33810 and 33813 are in Lakeland too.

Homes sold for a median of $194 per square foot across 5 ZIP codes in the three months ending August 2026, and 2 of 5 were seller’s markets.

Population119,9611,813 per sq mi

Median home value$249,400Census, as estimated by owners

Price per sq ft$194Sold homes, 3 months to August 2026

Sold over asking11%Median of 5 ZIP codes

ZIP codes in Lakeland

9 ZIP codes, 4 shared with neighboring towns

Lakeland, FL33803 Seller’s market $194/sq ft −3.5% vs. last year 3.7 months of supply · 6% sold over asking Competition 25/100

Mostly Lakeland

Lakeland, FL33805 Balanced $178/sq ft −2.0% vs. last year 4.3 months of supply · 11% sold over asking Competition 26/100

Mostly Lakeland

Lakeland, FL33811 Seller’s market $190/sq ft −4.5% vs. last year 3.2 months of supply · 15% sold over asking Competition 40/100

Mostly Lakeland; also Medulla and Willow Oak

Lakeland, FL33815 Buyer’s market $231/sq ft +33.3% vs. last year 7 months of supply · 19% sold over asking Competition 34/100

Mostly Lakeland

Polk City, FL33868 Buyer’s market $201/sq ft −5.0% vs. last year 7.5 months of supply · 8% sold over asking Competition 9/100

Mostly Lakeland; also Auburndale and Polk City

Lakeland, FL33801 Buyer’s market $190/sq ft +3.4% vs. last year 7 months of supply · 15% sold over asking Competition 29/100

Part is in Lakeland, part in Crystal Lake and Combee Settlement

Lakeland, FL33809 Balanced $190/sq ft +0.5% vs. last year 5.7 months of supply · 14% sold over asking Competition 28/100

Part is in Lakeland

Lakeland, FL33810 Balanced $192/sq ft −2.5% vs. last year 4.7 months of supply · 15% sold over asking Competition 34/100

Part is in Lakeland, part in Kathleen

Lakeland, FL33813 Seller’s market $202/sq ft +0.5% vs. last year 3 months of supply · 12% sold over asking Competition 39/100

Mostly Lakeland Highlands; part is in Lakeland

Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Lakeland. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology

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History
What it’s like to live there
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Lakeland at a glance

City · Polk County, FL

Population	119,9611,813 per square mile
Land area	66 square milesplus 9.0 of water
Median household income	$64,185average $86,244
Median home value	$249,400as estimated by owners
Median rent	$1,395/month
Homes lived in by owners	56%
Single-family houses	49% of homes
Median year built	1983
Average household	2.33 people
Median age	38.9
Average commute	23 minutes14% work from home
Adults with a degree	29%bachelor’s or higher

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates for the place; town boundaries and ZIP code overlaps from the Census Bureau’s 2020 relationship files; market figures from Redfin, a national real estate brokerage. This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.

Around Lakeland

Distances

Nearest major airport	Tampa International Airport (TPA)35 miles away
Closer regional airport	Lakeland Linder International Airport (LAL)5 miles away
Nearest city of 250,000+	Tampa, FL31 miles away
Nearest city of 1 million+	Houston, TX820 miles away

Straight-line distances from the center of Lakeland; driving is longer.

Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Who represents Lakeland

U.S. Representative · Florida’s 15th DistrictLaurel M. Lee (R)
U.S. Representative · Florida’s 18th DistrictScott Franklin (R)
U.S. Representative · Florida’s 11th DistrictDaniel Webster (R)
U.S. SenatorAshley Moody (R)
U.S. SenatorRick Scott (R)
GovernorRon DeSantis (R)
Mayor · as listed on WikidataH. William "Bill" Mutz

Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.

Population over time

Lakeland had 112,641 residents in the 2020 census, up 44% since 2000.

It’s the 20th largest of 954 towns in Florida by population.

Polk County grew from 12,472 residents in 1900 to 725,046 in 2020.

Polk County, 1900–2020

Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).

Weather by month

Average highs peak around 92°F in summer, and winter lows average 51°F. About 56.8 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year.

Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Lakeland 2, FL weather station (5 miles away).

Jobs in Polk County

232,278 jobs at 13,992 businesses in Polk County. The biggest industries by employees:

Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).

Health care

1,678 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Lakeland’s ZIP codes.

Nearest hospitals

Lakeland Regional Medical CenterGeneral hospital · emergency room · CMS rating 1 of 5 · Lakeland1.2 miles
South Florida Baptist HospitalGeneral hospital · emergency room · CMS rating 3 of 5 · Plant City10.5 miles
Bartow Regional Medical CenterGeneral hospital · emergency room · CMS rating 3 of 5 · Bartow14.4 miles

Providers with an office here

Primary care doctors	195
Specialist doctors	538
Dentists	75
Nurse practitioners and physician assistants	465
Mental health providers	235
Physical and occupational therapists	113
Optometrists	29
Chiropractors	28
Pharmacies	39

Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances; providers from the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), by practice address and primary specialty.

Places in and around Lakeland

Parks (24 nearby)

Saddle Creek Park · 692 acres5.2 mi
Holloway Park · 334 acres4.7 mi
Bonnet Springs Park · 126 acres0.1 mi
Peterson Park · 35 acres4.0 mi
Westside Park · 23 acres1.4 mi
Combee Park · 18 acres4.5 mi

Grocery stores (12 nearby)

Publix2.4 mi
Publix2.6 mi
Publix3.3 mi
Walmart Supercenter3.5 mi

Pharmacies (6 nearby)

Walmart Pharmacy3.5 mi
Walgreens3.7 mi
CVS Pharmacy4.5 mi
Walgreens4.5 mi

Libraries (7 nearby)

Polk County Library Cooperative Larry R Jackson Branch Library1.4 mi
Lakeland Public Library1.5 mi
Charlotte and Paul Penfield Library1.6 mi
Roux Library1.8 mi
Steelman Media Center3.3 mi

Museums (2 nearby)

Ashley Gibson Barnett Museum of Art1.6 mi
Florida Southern College Planetarium2.0 mi

Theaters and performance venues (4 nearby)

Amphitheatre1.3 mi
Lake Mirror Amphitheatre1.3 mi
Auditorium1.3 mi
Theatre1.3 mi

Counts are within about 5.5 miles of the center of town.

Source: Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (openstreetmap.org/copyright), as mapped by volunteers; it can miss places or include closed ones.

Colleges, teams and notable people

Established in 1875.

Colleges and universities

Florida Southern College
Emmaus Baptist College

Sports teams

Lakeland Magic NBA G League

Notable people born here

Faith Evans (1973) · American singer (born 1973)
Frances Langford (1913) · American singer and actress (1913–2005)
Dwayne Bacon (1995) · American basketball player (born 1995)
Kara Monaco (1983) · American model
Lawton Chiles (1930) · American politician (1930–1998)
Killian Hayes (2001) · French-American basketball player (born 2001)
Chris Sale (1989) · American professional baseball player
Lauren Miller (1982) · American actress

Source: Wikidata (wikidata.org), the free knowledge base; people are listed by place of birth.

Schools in Lakeland

Public schools here are run by Polk, Idea Public Schools. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.

Public schools (62)

School	Grades	Students	Type	Distance
Achievement AcademyLakeland	Pre-K	157	Charter, Special Education	1.8 mi
Carlton Palmore Elementary SchoolLakeland	Pre-K–5	402	Public	4.0 mi
Combee Academy of Design and EngineeringLakeland	Pre-K–5	479	Public	4.2 mi
Crystal Lake Elementary SchoolLakeland	Pre-K–5	437	Public	3.7 mi
Dixieland Elementary SchoolLakeland	Pre-K–5	344	Public	1.8 mi
Doris A. Sanders Learning CenterLakeland	Pre-K–12	84	Special Education	4.2 mi
Dr. Ne Roberts Elementary SchoolLakeland	Pre-K–5	697	Public	5.3 mi
Edgar L. Padgett ElementaryLakeland	Pre-K–5	531	Public	5.0 mi
Elementary - N LakelandLakeland	Pre-K–5	—	Public	2.8 mi
Griffin Elementary SchoolLakeland	Pre-K–5	431	Public	2.8 mi
Highlands Grove Elementary SchoolLakeland	Pre-K–5	691	Public	5.5 mi
James W. Sikes Elementary SchoolLakeland	Pre-K–5	502	Public	7.9 mi
Jesse Keen Elementary SchoolLakeland	Pre-K–5	621	Public	1.6 mi
Kathleen Elementary SchoolLakeland	Pre-K–5	453	Public	6.0 mi
Mckeel Academy CentralLakeland	Pre-K–6	610	Charter	0.8 mi
Medulla Elementary SchoolLakeland	Pre-K–5	488	Public	5.8 mi
Mi Escuela MontessoriLakeland	Pre-K–7	275	Charter	8.9 mi
North Lakeland Elementary School of ChoiceLakeland	Pre-K–5	658	Public	2.3 mi
Oscar J. Pope Elementary SchoolLakeland	Pre-K–5	365	Public	4.8 mi
Philip O'Brien Elementary SchoolLakeland	Pre-K–5	625	Public	2.0 mi
Polk City Elementary SchoolPolk City	Pre-K–5	545	Public	12.7 mi
R. Bruce Wagner Elementary SchoolLakeland	Pre-K–5	899	Public	6.3 mi
R. Clem Churchwell Elementary SchoolLakeland	Pre-K–5	662	Public	6.9 mi
Rochelle School of the ArtsLakeland	Pre-K–8	762	Public	1.1 mi
Rosabelle W. Blake AcademyLakeland	Pre-K–8	562	Public	0.9 mi
Scott Lake Elementary SchoolLakeland	Pre-K–5	735	Public	6.8 mi
Sleepy Hill Elementary SchoolLakeland	Pre-K–5	711	Public	3.4 mi
Socrum Elementary SchoolLakeland	Pre-K–5	523	Public	8.7 mi
South Mckeel AcademyLakeland	Pre-K–6	1,200	Charter	4.3 mi
Southwest Elementary SchoolLakeland	Pre-K–5	376	Public	2.6 mi

And 32 more.

Private schools (20)

School	Grades	Students	Affiliation	Distance
Geneva Classical AcademyLakeland	Pre-K–12	233	Christian (no specific denomination)	3.1 mi
Greater St. Paul AcademyLakeland	Pre-K–9	54	Baptist	0.5 mi
Head of the Class Learning CenterLakeland	Pre-K–7	85	Nonsectarian	1.6 mi
Lakeland Christian SchoolLakeland	Pre-K–12	1,093	Christian (no specific denomination)	1.8 mi
Parkway Christian AcademyLakeland	Pre-K–12	383	Baptist	5.1 mi
Resurrection Catholic SchoolLakeland	Pre-K–8	443	Roman Catholic	4.0 mi
St Paul Lutheran SchoolLakeland	Pre-K–8	396	Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod	4.5 mi
Avengers Christian AcademyLakeland	K–12	58	Christian (no specific denomination)	6.6 mi
Ces Academy of LakelandLakeland	K–12	202	Christian (no specific denomination)	5.9 mi
Families of Faith Christian Academy InternationalLakeland	K–12	148	Christian (no specific denomination)	4.6 mi
St Anthony Catholic SchoolLakeland	K–8	172	Roman Catholic	5.3 mi
The Cygnet SchoolLakeland	K–12	108	Nonsectarian	2.7 mi
Victory Christian AcademyLakeland	K–12	698	Assembly of God	2.1 mi
Inspiration Academy of LakelandLakeland	1–5	21	Nonsectarian	0.9 mi
Roberts Academy at Florida Southern CollegeLakeland	2–8	183	Nonsectarian	2.1 mi
Lakeland Institute for Learning, Org., CorpLakeland	3–12	82	Nonsectarian	4.1 mi
Sparrow AcademyLakeland	3–12	76	Assembly of God	7.2 mi
Academy Prep Center of LakelandLakeland	5–8	131	Nonsectarian	1.1 mi
Pathways School of ExcellenceLakeland	6–12	54	Assembly of God	3.4 mi
Santa Fe Catholic High SchoolLakeland	9–12	401	Roman Catholic	4.3 mi

Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools; Private School Universe Survey (2023-2024) for private schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.

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Towns near Lakeland

All Florida towns →

Crystal Lake, FLCommunity · 5,451 people2 miles away Combee Settlement, FLCommunity · 5,242 people2 miles away Medulla, FLCommunity · 10,985 people5 miles away Fussels Corner, FLCommunity · 5,682 people6 miles away Lakeland Highlands, FLCommunity · 12,102 people6 miles away Highland City, FLCommunity · 13,276 people8 miles away Kathleen, FLCommunity · 7,201 people8 miles away Willow Oak, FLCommunity · 7,454 people10 miles away

More for Lakeland buyers

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Town boundaries don’t always match ZIP codes: a ZIP code can cross into neighboring towns, and a town can share a ZIP code with its neighbors. Facts describe the town itself; market figures describe whole ZIP codes.